Medal of James Monroe
1817
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Diam. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
Classification
Medal
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
Accession Number
83.2.428
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Medal of James Monroe (1817), a finely crafted bronze portrait by Moritz Fürst, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing. Measuring just 2½ inches in diameter, this medallion captures the fifth U.S. President in classical profile, evoking the dignified style of ancient Roman coins. Such medals were prized 19th-century keepsakes, blending artistry with patriotism to honor national leaders. Struck in the year of Monroe's inauguration, the medal celebrates the dawn of his presidency amid the "Era of Good Feelings"—a time of post-War of 1812 unity and optimism. James M...
About the Artist
Moritz Fürst · 1782–1882
Moritz Fürst was a Hungarian-born engraver and medalist who became one of the most accomplished practitioners of his craft in the early United States. Born in Hungary in 1782, he acquired his technical training in European ateliers before emigrating to America, where he arrived in the early years of the nineteenth century and ultimately settled in Philadelphia — then the center of the young nation...